I have used different fitness trackers and smartwatches over the years, including a Xiaomi Band and an Apple Watch. They all had their advantages, but for what I actually want from a fitness watch, the Garmin Instinct 3 has been my favorite so far.

I specifically chose the Garmin Instinct 3 Solar Tactical Edition. I wanted something rugged, simple, and focused primarily on fitness and health tracking rather than another screen constantly competing for my attention.

After using it as my everyday fitness tracker, here are the things I like most about it.

1. My 8,000-Step Goal Keeps Me Moving

One of the simplest features is also one of the most important to me: step tracking.

My daily target is 8,000 steps.

Having that number available on my wrist gives me a straightforward goal every day. If I am sitting for too long or realize later in the day that I am well below my target, it gives me a reason to get up and walk.

I don't need every fitness goal to be complicated. Sometimes knowing that I need another 2,000 or 3,000 steps is enough motivation to go for an evening walk.

For me, step tracking is one of the foundations of using a fitness watch.

 

2. Starting and Tracking Workouts Is Very Convenient

The workout tracking is another reason I enjoy using the Instinct 3.

When I am ready to exercise, I can start tracking the activity directly from my wrist. This makes recording workouts easy enough that it doesn't become another task I have to think about.

The Instinct 3 is much more than a step counter. It includes GPS and multiple sensors, and Garmin provides a wide selection of activity profiles for tracking different types of exercise.

What matters to me, though, is the convenience.

A fitness tracker is only useful when you actually use it. Garmin makes starting a workout simple enough that tracking my exercise has become part of the routine instead of something I have to remember afterward.

3. I Can Track Much More Than Exercise

Exercise is only one part of fitness.

Recovery, sleep, stress, and your overall energy level can be just as important. This is an area where I think Garmin does particularly well.

The Instinct 3 can track metrics including heart rate, resting heart rate, respiration, all-day stress, sleep, sleep score, naps, and Pulse Ox. It also includes Garmin's Body Battery feature.

Body Battery combines information including heart rate variability, stress, sleep quality, and activity to estimate how much energy your body has available.

I like this because it provides context around my workouts. Instead of only knowing what I did yesterday, I can get a better picture of how my body is responding to my routine.

 

4. Garmin Connect Is One of My Favorite Parts

The watch collects the information, but the Garmin Connect app is where that information becomes much more useful.

I use Garmin Connect to look at things such as:

• Sleep

• Stress

• Workouts

• Steps and daily activity

• Heart rate

• Body Battery

• Training and recovery information

Instead of looking at one isolated workout, I can see patterns over time.

For example, Garmin's sleep tracking can show total sleep time, sleep stages, movement, sleep score, and other information. Garmin's Sleep Coach can also make sleep-need recommendations based on factors such as sleep history, activity history, HRV status, and naps.

That makes Garmin Connect feel less like a simple workout log and more like a dashboard for my overall fitness routine.

 

5. Solar Charging Was a Major Reason I Chose This Version

Why did I choose the Solar Tactical Edition?

There were honestly two simple reasons.

It is black, and it charges itself using solar energy.

I like the understated black tactical appearance, but solar charging was particularly attractive to me because I don't want another device that needs to be charged constantly.

Garmin rates the 45 mm Instinct 3 Solar Tactical Edition for up to 28 days of battery life in smartwatch mode, with the possibility of unlimited battery life under Garmin's specified solar conditions.

That's exactly the philosophy I wanted from this watch: wear it, track my activity, and spend less time worrying about the battery.

Solar charging doesn't mean I never have to think about charging under every condition. Actual battery life depends on usage and how much solar exposure the watch receives. But extending battery life simply by wearing the watch outdoors is a feature I really appreciate.

6. It Doesn't Feel Like Another Smartphone on My Wrist

This might be one of my favorite things about the Instinct 3.

I don't want my fitness watch to become another source of distraction.

One of the problems I have with feature-heavy smartwatches is that they can bring even more notifications, apps, calls, and digital distractions into your day.

That's not what I wanted.

I primarily use my Garmin as a fitness and health device. I don't need calls and constant notifications on my wrist. I prefer keeping those distractions away and letting the watch focus on what I bought it for.

The Instinct 3 does support smartphone notifications, so those features are available if you want them. I simply prefer not to make them part of my experience.

There is something refreshing about looking at my wrist and seeing my steps or fitness information instead of another notification demanding my attention.

7. Sleep, Stress, and Recovery Give Me a Bigger Picture

Before using Garmin, I mostly thought about fitness tracking in terms of steps and workouts.

Now I pay more attention to recovery as well.

If I had a bad night's sleep, a stressful day, and a difficult workout, seeing those factors together can be more useful than simply looking at how many calories I burned.

Garmin's Body Battery is particularly interesting for this. It gives you a score representing your estimated energy reserves, using sleep, stress, HRV, and activity information.

I don't treat any individual number from a smartwatch as absolute truth. Instead, I find the trends useful.

If the watch consistently shows poor sleep, high stress, or low recovery, that gives me something to think about when planning my next workout.

8. I Prefer It Over My Xiaomi Band and Apple Watch

Before the Garmin Instinct 3, I had experience with both a Xiaomi Band and an Apple Watch.

For my personal needs, I prefer the Garmin.

That doesn't necessarily mean it is the best smartwatch for everyone. Someone deeply invested in Apple's ecosystem may prefer the Apple Watch, especially if smartwatch features, apps, messaging, and integration with an iPhone are priorities.

Those things simply aren't my priorities.

I wanted a device primarily focused on:

Fitness. Health. Steps. Workouts. Sleep. Recovery. Long battery life.

The Garmin Instinct 3 gives me those things without making me feel like I have strapped another smartphone to my wrist.

Final Thoughts: A Fitness Watch That Actually Feels Like a Fitness Watch

The biggest compliment I can give the Garmin Instinct 3 is that I don't have to think about it very much.

I put it on and go about my day.

It counts my steps toward my 8,000-step daily goal. When I exercise, starting a workout is quick and convenient. At night, it tracks my sleep. Throughout the day, it collects information about my activity, heart rate, stress, and recovery.

Then Garmin Connect puts all of that information together so I can understand the bigger picture.

And because I chose the Solar Tactical Edition, I get the rugged black design I wanted along with solar charging and excellent battery life.

After using Xiaomi Band and Apple Watch devices in the past, the Garmin Instinct 3 is my favorite fitness-focused wearable so far.

It doesn't try to make me spend more time looking at my wrist.

It simply helps me understand how much I am moving, how I am exercising, how I am sleeping, and how well I am recovering.

And that's exactly what I wanted from a fitness watch.